January 2022 | Vol. 16 Iss. 01
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THE POINT, THE PRISON AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION
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By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com
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even years ago, the historic Draper Park School in the center of town was nearly demolished. The city owned it but could no longer afford to maintain or remodel it. It had become a safety hazard and a resulting liability. Just weeks before it was set to be demolished, a buyer came forward to purchase the old school in what some felt was a “Christmas miracle.” “It’s like most historic preservation, it’s usually expensive. We made it available cheaply for what was the demolition cost, with the requirement they had to save it. The developer turned it into a commercial enterprise. It was a win-win,” Mayor Troy Walker said. In the many months leading up to that last-minute “miracle,” community groups and individuals set about to raise funds, hoping to purchase and re-imagine the old school. But they weren’t able to raise nearly enough money. They repeatedly pled their case to the mayor and city council, hoping to save what they saw as a treasure, before it was turned into rubble. It was a contentious topic at council meetings that ended with a positive resolution for both the city and concerned community members, just in the nick of time. For some people, there is a strong sense of duty to consider the historic value of what surrounds them or risk losing it forever. And it’s often the role of everyday residents to push for preservation while a city’s leaders are focused on matters of growth, economics, and wise use of taxpayer funds. Todd Shoemaker is one such individual for whom history is a passion. Continued page 8
The Utah State Prison has been operating in Draper since 1951. Prisoners will be moved to the new prison west of Salt Lake City in the summer of 2022 and nearly all of the prison buildings will be demolished to begin development of The Point. (Photo courtesy Utah Department of Corrections)
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Students get a look into manufacturing principles, careers at Rock West Composites By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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hat may look like a single layer of fabric may actually be several layers of alternating carbon fiber coated with resin to create a stable, yet pliable composite that is being used in manufacturing for tubing as well as many customized projects. That may have been what approximately 25 students from high schools in Canyons School District learned as it toured Rock West Composites in West Jordan on National Manufacturing Day. “They manufacture components made of carbon fiber, which is lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel,” said Christy Bond, Jordan High work-based learning coordinator who escorted the group that toured the facility. “They walked us through the cutting process, the molding process, and showed us the raw materials. Students got hands on to see what carbon fiber is like before the resin is added and then after the resin is added, how it becomes pliable and can turn into something super sturdy.” Bond said students also learned about thermal stressing where the material runs through “minus 30 to 280 degrees back and forth to stabilize that material, which they sometimes use for calibration of devices.” While the students learned the company does a lot of stock tubing, they also saw some of the customized items they made. “One of the cool things they make is a lightweight, portable X-ray machine, that…is able to use on football fields as well as Third World countries. Another cool thing they showed us was called the HANS (head and neck support) device; it’s a head and neck restraint device that’s used in Speedway racing,” Bond said, adding that they also discussed composite being used to manufacture bicycles, drones and other aerospace applications. “One of the kids thought that was really cool that you could use it to create pieces for auto design.” Students also had the chance to ask what other uses the company manufactures for (materials that are used in marine, energy and scientific purposes amongst others), about their careers as well as how they can prepare for the field. “The thing they said they like to emphasize is employability skills: how you have to be a hard worker, a good person and willing to learn,” she said, adding that
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Canyons School District high school students toured Rock West Composites where they learned about its manufacturing principles. (Christy Bond/Jordan High)
they trained people on-site. “They rotate people through the manufacturing, the purchasing, the office work so that they get a feel for the company.” While most of Jordan High’s students are taking the manufacturing principles course in the medical innovations pathway, the tour was open to any student who was interested in manufacturing. “All the manufacturing principles can be applied into when they eventually make their own medical devices” in the second term of the medical innovations pathway, she said. The year-long medical innovations pathway, which is housed at Jordan High, is open to any junior or senior. In the one-credit pathway, students who are interested in engineering or biomanufacturing learn the manufacturing process, learn the history of the industry, product development, operational structures and optimization,
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Draper City Journal
Canyons District honors those who provide excellence, commitment, leadership
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lta View Principal Scott Jameson called volunteer Dr. Allyn Kau, asking her to come to his office to talk rather than over the phone. Immediately, the mother wondered if something happened with her children, but she knew that they weren’t ones who get in trouble. Kau had volunteered at the school for five years and even had substituted so she couldn’t imagine why he needed to talk to her in-person. Nevertheless, she emailed him back and went into his office the next day. “He told me that he just got a notice from the (Canyons) Board (of Education) that I was chosen as the volunteer of the year,” she remembered. “I didn’t even know I was nominated.” Kau recently was honored as the Canyons School District’s 2021 Volunteer of Year Apex Award-winner. She was honored for her excellence, commitment and leadership along with other Apex recipients, including teacher of the year Traci Raymond, who recently retired from Alta High; school administrator of the year Tom Sherwood of Brighton High; district administrator of the year Steve Dimond; student support services professional of the year Amy Boettger; education support professionals of the year Rick Hoggard, Lorraine Miles and Jeff Wren; elected official of the year Rep. Andrew Stoddard; community partner of the year Scheels; and legacy award-winners former Canyons administrators Kathryn McCarrie and Karen Sterling. “Dr. Kau has been our PTA treasurer for several years; she’s been a substitute teacher whenever we’ve needed one. She’s here for career day, for our fun run, for every event. She’s been a driving force for our equity discussion for all kids; she has a Ph.D. and instead of working full time, she’s here volunteering,” Jameson said. “She’s been the individual who developed our summer reading program two years ago that is a collaborative effort between teachers and the Salt Lake County Library. If I ever need something, she’s immediately here, offering help. Dr. Kau is the heart of our school.” Kau deflects Jameson’s praise. “He’s always thanking people and doesn’t take the credit he deserves; everyone here is helping and deserves this recognition,” she said. “What I do is for all of them—the SCC (school community council), PTA, parents, teachers. I’m just shocked I’m being recognized when all I’m doing is trying to help everyone, many who are overwhelmed while working hard through the pandemic.” The reading program Kau developed stemmed from helping a former third-grade student with math. “The student couldn’t read the problem, but once it was read to the student, he could
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By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com do it. That’s when I began to wonder what is he going to do next year. Reading affects all subjects and most schools only have reading K-3 interventionists. I knew I needed to find a way to help him otherwise he’d always struggle, and I also knew if there was one student struggling, there likely were more,” she said. With teachers already consumed by their workload, Kau took it upon herself to start outlining ideas. She attended a PTA conference where the Utah State Board of Education presented research about DYAD reading, which she was able to bring into her program outline. She also found out information from United Way and the Promise Partnership Third-Grade Elementary Reading Network. She also reached out to the Salt Lake County Library System. At the same time, Jameson had heard from a number of teachers about the need for a strong summer reading program after attending a training. He put Kau together with those teachers to see how her program could support their needs. Then, Kau coordinated with the Alta View librarian to see about opening the school library during the summer and gained the support of the PTA. “I know education has helped me and given me my life. If I can help these students and give them the confidence to succeed in the classroom, they can gain confidence and have what I have,” said Kau, who has her Ph.D. in physical therapy and who credits her mother for teaching her and her seven siblings how to read and supporting her education while growing up. “Everyone was willing to help and asked how they could support us.” While Kau continues to work one weekend per month, she knows volunteering can make a difference in people’s lives. “We all have different experiences, all the people we meet. By volunteering, it can help combat all the challenges we may be facing, the inequities there are, to give the best possible academic learning possible to everyone,” she said, adding that it was her mother who told her to be known around Alta View as Dr. Kau, so it will motivate students to inspire to achieve similar career goals. The reading program, also known as Roadrunners Read, completed its second summer in 2021 (after one year off during the COVID-19 summer of 2020). It has a partnership with a Salt Lake County librarian who presents a storytime around a theme and brings a literacy project for students to be engaged in come to the school library, which is open during the summer for students to check out books, sometimes two levels higher than grade level. DYAD reading is modeled to families and teachers contribute and are supportive of the reading program, she said.
Canyons Board of Education member Mont Millerberg shakes hands with Dr. Allyn Kau, Canyons’ 2021 volunteer of the year Apex award-winner. (Photo courtesy of Canyons School District)
“Mr. Jameson is willing to offer a way to help students by opening the school in the summer and the librarian welcomes students to the school library, teachers are supporting it, and we have support from the community; it’s all been huge to helping these students. It benefits the whole school; it benefits the neighborhood,” Kau
said. “My name is on the award, and Mr. Jameson took the time to do something kind even though he knows that I’m uncomfortable being in the limelight. It’s really an Alta View award. I’ve just crossed paths to help. To me, it has just been so inspiring to see how many people are wanting to help.”l
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January 2022 | Page 5
Draper families open their hearts, homes to foster pets By Katherine Weinstein | k.weinstein@mycityjournals.com
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he Spencer family gazed down with pride at the new mom, snuggled up in a make-shift bed with her nine healthy, week-old puppies. The Spencers took in the dog just before she gave birth as part of a fostering partnership with Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption. The family is just one of many in Draper who open their homes and hearts to homeless pets in need. The Spencers have fostered a total of 23 dogs since they began working with Nuzzles & Co. last summer. “We always had dogs in our home,” said Misti Spencer. “I wanted to buy a home so bad so we could get a dog. I just have to have a dog in my life. I think I’ll be fostering forever!” Nuzzles & Co. is always seeking volunteers to foster pets. The organization has grown by leaps and bounds since its founding in 1990 and now includes a pet adoption center in Park City as well as a Rescue and Rehab Ranch. Nuzzles & Co. works with the Navajo Nation and the Ute Reservation to care for and find homes for the many homeless dogs and cats on the reservation. In 2020, the organization saved a grand total of 1,863 dogs and cats. There is a great need for people to foster dogs who are pregnant or nursing pups and the Spencers agreed to take on the challenge. Jonathan Spencer explained, “We help the moms to get back in good health, socialized and used to living indoors. We’re helping them to become a desirable family pet.” “We give the moms lots of love, they get a lot of attention,” said Ronan Spencer, a student at Corner Canyon High School. “The moms are often in bad shape,” Misti explained. “The first mom we picked up was so sick, they thought she was going to die. It felt so good to bring her back to life.” She recalled the joy the family felt watching their first foster dog play with her puppies in the backyard. That dog was later adopted by a family in Murray and the Spencers had the pleasure of seeing her again when the family brought her to Draper Dog Park. As a pet foster family, the Spencers are not responsible for finding forever homes for the dogs. When the puppies are eight weeks old, they are taken back to Nuzzles & Co. to be adopted out. However, the family often finds ways to keep in touch with their former canine charges. Emerald Spencer, a student at Utah State University, explained that a family friend adopted a couple of puppies that they had fostered. “We still get to see them, which is cool!” she said. Emerald described how her family helps to socialize the dogs which includes leash training them and taking them on walks. “We invite the neighbors over to play with the dogs,” she said. Jonathan added, “The kids bring friends over so that the dogs get used to teens.” Misti noted that having older kids who can help care for the dogs is a bonus when you’re a pet foster parent. She also explained that the key to being a good foster pet family is flexibility. “You have to be a problem solver,” Misti said. “Every dog has its own personality and issues, their needs are so different. Every batch of puppies has its unique needs.” “There’s going to be some characters in this batch!” Jonathan said of the tiny, roly-poly puppies who are currently in their care. “There is a stigma on rescue dogs,” he continued. “But these are good animals, dogs that are going to love you forever because you gave them a home. The pets
Page 6 | January 2022
The Spencer family fostered these three puppies through an arrangement with Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption based in Park City. (Photo courtesy Emerald Spencer)
we’ve had have always been rescues.” “People pay a fortune for a purebred dog,” Misti said. “There are so many good dogs out there. Dogs make such an impact on peoples’ lives. That’s what I find so rewarding.” Ronan observed that dogs can become a key part of the family. He explained that while he enjoys helping to care for the family’s dogs, “I feel a connection with cats. If I ever see a cat, I have to go up to it and pet it.” There are many others in Draper who share that love of all things feline, including folks who foster cats and kittens. The Day family has fostered nine kittens so far since October 2020. “I had thought about fostering for a long time,” Becca Day explained. She began her journey as a foster cat mom when her mother found a tiny stray kitten hiding in her garage. Becca and her family cared for the kitten until it was adopted by a family friend. “We still get to see it,” she said with a smile. Becca joined Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue, a Facebook community based in Bluffdale. Unlike Nuzzles & Co., Celestial Zoo does not have a brick-and-mortar location. There are separate Celestial Zoo Facebook groups for those who foster cats and dogs. Through the online community, “the nice thing is that we can find other kitties that need help,” Becca explained. “They do a lot with feral cats. If a cat shows signs of being a potential good pet, we foster them. Really feral cats end up as barn cats.” The Celestial Zoo community often coordinates foster care for homeless cats and kittens found in the rural areas of southern Utah and brings them north where they are more likely to find forever homes. The first two kittens that the Day family fostered from Celestial Zoo were from a large cat colony in Utah County. At first, the black kitten later known as Jiji was very fearful of humans and would hiss when approached. Bec-
Becca Day poses with Grey Boy, a foster cat who may soon become a new member of her family. (Photo courtesy Becca Day)
ca’s husband, Ben, helped to socialize Jiji by sitting with him and eventually had the kitten literally eating from his hand. “It was calming for me,” Ben said. “I gave him the opportunity to build trust with humans and form a bond.” Fifteen year old Oliver Day is a bit wary of getting
Draper City Journal
A proud mama poses with her pups in the Spencer family’s backyard in Draper. The family fostered the dogs as volunteers with Nuzzles & Co. Pet Rescue and Adoption. (Photo courtesy Emerald Spencer)
too attached to the kittens but enjoys playing with them. “I really like cats,” he said. “They are always cute! I like the experience of raising them and finding them a good home.” For Oliver, the best part of fostering kittens is, “You get to have the experience of having a lot of pets and, if you like one, you get to keep them.” Currently, the Days are fostering a young gray and white cat who has bonded with their own older pet cat. The family is leaning toward adopting him, making him a so-called, “foster fail.” Becca admits that it’s hard not to keep all of their young feline charges. Sending kittens off to a new home can be bittersweet. “Of course you’re going to be sad at the end,” she said. “It’s because you care.” The cats and dogs being fostered through Celestial Zoo are advertised for adoption on Petfinder and the organization hosts weekend adoption events at PetSmart stores in Sandy, West Jordan and Orem. “Celestial Zoo really cares about who is adopting the cats,” Becca explained. Prospective owners need to complete an adoption form and are interviewed by the pet’s foster parents. Making sure that a prospective owner is not getting a pet on a whim is key as is determining the sort of home environment that the pet would be going to. Not every dog or cat has the temperament to get along with young children or other pets. “If the adoption doesn’t work out, the kitty goes back to the foster,” Becca said. She happily keeps in touch with some of her adopters. Becca would encourage others to foster pets if they have the time and capacity, but added that there are other ways people can help homeless pets. “Maybe you can
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Jonathan, Misti, Emerald and Ronan Spencer pose for a family holiday photo with their foster pups. (Photo courtesy Emerald Spencer)
WHAT IS YOUR HOME WORTH? CALL US FOR A A ginger foster kitten named after Ed Sheeran and his sister, Buffy, play in the Day family’s home in Draper. Rescued from a sprinkler box, the kittens found a forever home together through Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue. (Photo courtesy Becca Day)
volunteer to transport animals or make a donation,” she said. “Keep an eye on your neighborhood and if you see a cat that is clearly not someone’s pet or find a litter of kittens, contact a rescue group to help.” Both Nuzzles & Co. and Celestial Zoo are seeking people to foster pets and volunteer in other capacities. Nuzzles & Co.’s Pet Adoption Center is located at The Outlets, 6699 N. Landmark Drive, Suite B-103 in Park City. Call 435-649-5441 for more information or visit www.nuzzlesandco. org. Celestial Zoo Pet Rescue has a website as well; visit www.celestialzoo.org or find them on Facebook. l
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January 2022 | Page 7
Continued from front page Shoemaker moved to Draper in 1955 and attended school in that historic building on Pioneer Road. He earned both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from the University of Utah and taught history for 30 years at Union Middle School. After retiring, Shoemaker served on Draper’s Historic Preservation Commission (HPC). He participated in efforts to save the historic school. In doing so, he recognizes that the actions he and others took to save the school likely ruffled the feathers of city leaders. He also partnered with two other individuals to purchase the Day Barn at auction, not with city funds earmarked for historic preservation, but with their own money. He worked with the city and other willing partners to relocate it from where it formerly sat on 12300 South near 600 East to where it now resides near the library, land the city donated for it. “I was able to talk to Todd Wadsworth and he was willing to help with the money to move it and fix up the barn. Without him, it wouldn’t have happened,” Shoemaker said. Fast forward several years, and Shoemaker, along with others, has wanted to see parts of the Utah State Prison preserved when the development known as The Point begins to take shape. According to Alan Matheson, executive director of The Point, prisoners will be moved to the new prison on the west side of Salt Lake City this summer and demolition of the Draper site will begin soon after. For Shoemaker, it’s not a matter of glorifying criminal behavior, but of recognizing that the prison has been part of the Draper community since 1951. That’s the year it was opened to replace the former prison in Sugar House, an old territory prison. Shoemaker said some of the buildings at the Draper site date back to the 1940s and those older buildings are the focus of preservationist efforts. “We mainly want to tell the story because it’s in Draper, so many people from Draper worked there and so many have gone out there and volunteered. It’s educational. We’ve done research on what people have done with old prisons. In Europe, some are hotels. We just think the prison is unique and we tried to find out if they were going to tear down those buildings. The Utah State Historical Society didn’t know when we reached out to them and we couldn’t get anything specific from the mayor or the city council. We started this in 2015 or 2016. We spent a lot of time on it,” Shoemaker said. Other prisons have been saved for historic purposes. San Francisco has Alcatraz, the former maximum security federal prison that attracts 1.5 million visitors annually, a public museum run by the National Parks Service. Boise has the Old Idaho Penitentiary, a tourist site operated by the Idaho State Historical Society. Both are registered with the National Registry of Historic Places (NRHP). But both are older than the Utah State Prison. Alcatraz operated as a prison from 19341963 and the Old Idaho Penitentiary was built between 18701872 when Idaho was just a territory. The Utah State Prison has some interesting historical occurrences and has housed some well-known names. Ted Bundy was sentenced to 15 years there but later extradited to Colorado. It has housed Warren Jeffs, Wanda Barzee, and Mark Hoffman among others. In 1977, Gary Gilmore was executed in Draper, the first execution in the United States after the death penalty was reinstated in 1976. That prompted Norman Mailer to write his famous novel “The Executioner’s Song.” A 1957 riot gained national news attention and resulted in the building of a chapel, one of the demands made by the prisoners. According to Shoemaker, that chapel was built largely with the prisoners’ money so they had a place to worship and sing. Mayor Walker serves on two boards regarding development of The Point: The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority, tasked with development of the prison site, and the Point of the Mountain Commission, an advisory planning commission that looks at the greater Point of the Mountain
Page 8 | January 2022
Guard tower in front of the Wasatch entrance at the Utah State Prison in Draper. The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority has committed to preserving one or two of the six prison towers for historic purposes. The Department of Corrections will preserve a locking system found only at this prison and at Alcatraz. (Photo courtesy Utah Department of Corrections)
area.
Walker said a decision on historic preservation of the prison was made at The Point of the Mountain State Land Authority’s October 2021 meeting. “Most of the buildings are old, the function of them has been to house inmates, so there wasn’t an interest from the board to save buildings… You’d have to reconfigure the way we’re designing the site, the buildings aren’t where we want them to be. However, the lock, which is historic (the Johnson Bar Lock system which is the same as at Alcatraz), the Department of Corrections is going to save and put in a museum that they’re going to do at the new prison. Uniquely, we wanted to preserve something, and what we came up with is the guard towers…up to two of them could be preserved on the site. They’re symbolic of keeping the outside safe, protecting society from criminals. That’s really the extent of the historical preservation at the site. We want a conference center there, not in old Cell Block A, but more like a world class hotel,” Walker said. Matheson said, “We’ve had some good conversations with people in the community. We appreciate their passion and the input they’ve provided. As reflected in the board’s decision in October, there is a willingness to preserve appropriate elements of the site. There are a few members of the community concerned about historical preservation and many others that are not. The board is also considering the economic opportunity costs and public safety in making those decisions. Some of these old facilities may not be safe for the public to be in after a time.” Shoemaker said he was removed from his position on the HPC, reappointed at some point, and that more recently he didn’t reapply for the commission when his term ended. “I can do better by not being a member and trying to do things on my own,” he said. Shoemaker is frustrated that the city has changed their procedures for committees and commissions, and he’s felt more restrained than heard on topics that he feels some members of the community want to discuss. “You may apply to be on the commission agenda and are required to state what you want to talk about, but the commission chair can, evidently, deny your request with no reason given. A citizen’s next course of action is to go to a city council meeting where they are given three minutes to state their concerns. The city is not
required to have any further engagement with the citizen in a discussion of the issue that is brought forward,” he said. Shoemaker would like to see the format changed so that residents are given three minutes to speak at commission meetings, and if the city wants to follow through on the topic, it would then be on an agenda. “I know why you have to have an agenda, but there’s no reason why people on the commission can’t get input from the general public. I’m pushing now for a change on that. I think that format should be changed.” The city has spent the last year revising the roles and rules for its various committees and commissions. Councilmember Marsha Vawdrey serves as a liaison between the city and the HPC. “I’ve been encouraging this whole year to look at all our boards and commissions and make sure we’re having consistency, clarifying roles and duties. It was a general overhaul of all the committees. We were trying to help unify, clarify and make consistency for all the boards and committees because all of them were struggling, in their own ways, especially with membership. I could see it and just thought we could do better. It’s been cool to see how many people have applied and been put on boards,” she said. “You shouldn’t have unelected officials speaking for the city or council, so we’ve revamped our commission rules, making it clear what they’re supposed to do and what they’re not supposed to do,” Walker said. Regarding historic preservation in the city, Walker said, “There are old homes we want to see stay. We have the cabin (the old Chamber of Commerce building) and I think our commitment to historic preservation is solid. We like our history, but you can’t do everything. I’d like to see us develop a proper museum, a building that showcases the history of Draper, and that’s something the council is interested in. It was just this prison business—we heard all the arguments, but it just wasn’t going to fit in what we were trying to do. My goal has always been to develop that site into the greatest economic opportunity that the state has had in the last 100 years.” Walker and Shoemaker do agree on something. “The Sugar House prison would have been worth preserving, but it wasn’t,” Walker said. That historic, territorial prison was demolished and is now the location of Sugar House Park. “I get his passion,” Walker said of Shoemaker. l
Draper City Journal
Capitol field trip includes surprise encounter for some Draper Elementary fourth-graders By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
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ourth-grader McKay Cotterell was at the Utah State Capitol for the first time along with his classmates on a field trip to learn about Utah’s history. They had completed a tour where he was impressed “how really clean it is and how our really good tour guide told us about the paintings and statues with a lot of detail and even took us down to show us what would happen if the capitol was in an earthquake.” Now, McKay and his group were on a scavenger hunt, which he admits was “kind of hard,” when they talked to a “really nice, tall” man who pointed out where they may be able to find some of the answers. Their chaperones, Heather Morgan and his mother Suzy, told the group that the man they asked was Gov. Spencer Cox. Although finding the governor wasn’t on the scavenger list, McKay thought it was pretty “cool” meeting him. While not all 120 Draper Elementary fourth-graders had the opportunity to meet Gov. Cox, they did get to meet Rep. Steve Eliason, who talked to students about the process of a bill becoming a law. “He showed us a video about a bus accident at a railroad tracks and how kids died sadly from it. He explained how the things changed into a law, so buses now stop, look and listen at railroad crossings,” McKay said. Fourth-grade teacher Amy Beckert said that Eliason said that Utah’s deadly school bus accident may be the basis for the “School House Rock’s” song “I’m Just a Bill,” which first aired as an educational Saturday morning cartoon.
DraperJournal .com
Eliason also shared with students that he helped create the bill that made it possible for their field trip buses to be funded for the program, which was presented by the Capitol Preservation Board and visitors center. Students also asked Eliason how he works his regular job at a hospital in addition to being a representative and what it means when the legislature is in session and what he did as part of that. Fourth-grader Hazel Rensch appreciated learning from Eliason. “It was really cool to be able to talk to a real person who works there,” she said. Their capitol tour included learning about the state seal, which they sat around; touring the gold room; and seeing former Gov. Gary Herbert’s portrait hung by all the other former governors’ paintings. They also visited the House of Representatives, the Senate and the former Supreme Court, which now is used for ceremonies. Hazel said she liked learning about the history of the capitol in its “mini-museum” as well as all the “rooms of the government, and especially the big room with all the desks where we learned about why it is important to make all the rules that help our entire state.” It was Hazel’s first visit inside the capitol. Her teacher wasn’t surprised. “Probably about 90% of our fourth-graders have never been to the capitol. They were so excited, it was like going-to-Disneyland excitement,” Beckert said, adding that many
Draper Elementary fourth-grade students take a break from their capitol tour to sit on the marble steps. (Photo courtesy of Amy Beckert/Draper Elementary)
of them didn’t even remember the last field trip they took as second-graders since during the COVID-19 pandemic year the school didn’t go on field trips. “The capitol is an iconic symbol downtown so this was an opportunity to show them what it is, to learn the inter-workings of government, and learn that they can participate and speak their thoughts. The government is represented by the people and is here for the people.”l
January 2022 | Page 9
Draper 2021: Champions, animals, balloons
The Juan Diego Catholic High SilverLine drill team won the Region 10 championship Jan. 23 after placing first in Military and Dance and second in Show. (Photo courtesy Jaydee Lester)
Sen. Mitt Romney spoke with Draper Mayor Troy Walker before his June 18 announcement to establish a commission to conduct a national review of wildfire policy. (Mimi Darley Dutton/City Journals)
The Juan Diego Catholic High School boys soccer team finished a 15-3 season with a 2-1 loss to Stansbury in the 4A state quarterfinals. The squad went into the playoffs as the No. 1 seed and defeated Logan 5-0 in the first round before the second-round loss. (Photo courtesy Joe Alamilla)
Principal Lindy Hatch was duct taped to a wall as an incentive to students to raise funds for the school. (Photo courtesy of Summit Academy)
Page 10 | January 2022
The future holds lots of fun for guests at Halloween on the High Seas at Loveland Living Planet Aquarium. (Photo courtesy Shelby Dobson/Loveland Living Planet Aquarium)
All-American midfielder Mason Quick scored 105 goals this season for the state champion Corner Canyon boys lacrosse team. (Photo courtesy Chandra Tillotson)
Loveland Living Planet Aquarium has successfully bred endangered Boreal toads and released them in southwestern Utah in partnership with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. (Photo courtesy Loveland Living Planet Aquarium)
Draper City Journal
The Corner Canyon High softball team honored fallen heroes at their April 12 game. (Photos courtesy Gaile Dupree)
Former Corner Canyon High runner Jake Orr edges out Michigan’s Miles Brown at the finish line of the 800 meters at The Outdoor Nationals July 3. (Photo courtesy Becky Holbrook)
Corner Canyon High’s Harrison Taggart, Cody Strong, Noah Kjar and Cody Hagen ran the fastest time in Utah history to win the 4x100 relay at the 6A state championships May 18 at Davis High. (Photo courtesy AStrong Photography)
Draper Park Middle School’s William Harrison wrote a 2,112-word paper titled, “The Power of Television: How Televised Presidential Appearances Have Shaped American History” to win Utah’s History Day contest and qualify him for nationals. (Photo courtesy of Suzanne Harrison)
Dogs make new friends in the daycare at K9 Lifeline. (Photo courtesy Lynnae Chilcott/K9 Lifeline)
After taking a year off for COVID-19 in 2020, the Balloon Festival made a triumphant return to Storm Mountain Park on Aug. 13-14. Hundreds of residents gathered bright and early to watch over a dozen hot air balloons ascend into the sky. (Justin Adams/City Journals)
DraperJournal .com
January 2022 | Page 11
Nearly four million lights brightened Draper for the holidays By Mimi Darley Dutton | m.dutton@mycityjournals.com
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he city was able to return to the tradition of an official tree-lighting ceremony. Miss Draper Grace Mead, Santa and Mrs. Claus did the honors of flipping the switch. Draper Park’s Tree of Light alone was illuminated with an estimated 65,000 lights. Other trees and structures brought the total to 3,330,750 individual lights in that park according to city statistics. Lights on other city properties including roundabouts, Draper Historic Park and the South Mountain Bridge bring the estimated total to nearly 4 million individual lights sparkling in the city. “It was nice to be able to get back to doing the ceremony and having people come out. I
Page 12 | January 2022
think it’s an event that Draper citizens really enjoy,” Mayor Troy Walker said. (Photos courtesy Draper City) l
Draper City Journal
JDCHS boys and girls basketball looking to conquer region play By Catherine Garrett | c.garret@mycityjournals.com
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oys basketball Sophomore center Malick Diallo returns as the key player on the Juan Diego boys squad, hoping to continue the Soaring Eagle’s seven-year run on the region title. The team— which is currently ranked No. 1 in the 3A ranks statewide—replaces five seniors, three of whom are now playing collegiately. “Malick is super talented and one of the best players in the state of Utah,” said head coach Drew Trost, who is in his ninth year with JDCHS. Juan Diego will be breaking in a new point guard to the varsity team in junior Zuriel Marquez. The previous floor general, Talon Valdes, ran the system for three seasons so JDHS is adapting to a new style of play to take advantage of their size inside. “Zuriel looks poised to have a terrific season,” Trost said. “We have several other players ready to step in and contribute in a big way this year, including three football players—seniors Vaa Hatitio, Nick Ceballos and junior Colby Bryant.” Also playing for Juan Diego this season are seniors Nick Kimball, Cole Jackson, Evan Wigton and Drew Wyatt; juniors Alijah Bendinger, Haunag Charles, Malik Harris, Andrew King, Cameron Orchard, Camillo Ramirez, Jack Raup and Maui Richmond; sophomores Hunter Chamberlain, Malick Diallo, Caden Fenger, Angelo Lewis, Marcus Pino, Shawn Rhodes and Aidan Wigton; and freshmen Noah Bendinger, Dawson Bengtzen, Eamon Dolan, Aidan Greenwood, Devan James, Darion Otto, Bryton Valdes and Jacob Wyatt. Trost will be assisted this season on the coaching staff by Joe Colosimo, JD Ahlstrom and Josh Zentner along with team manager Jordan Andersen. “They are a talented and hungry group of guys who are ready to learn and battle,” Trost said. “We look to cut our teeth with an extremely challenging, preseason schedule that will truly push us. If we grow and rally around our defense, effort and teamwork, this team can be very special.” So far this season, the Soaring Eagle team defeated Emery 72-50 Nov. 23 behind 32 points from Diallo and 12 from Marquez. They also beat Herriman 49-37 Nov. 30, again led by Diallo with 22 and Marquez with 12. They also won a close one against Timpanogos 62-59 Dec. 3 with the Diallo/ Marquez duo combining for 35 points. At the Skyridge Tournament Dec. 9-10, Juan Diego lost to Dixie 68-46 despite 18 points from Diallo and then beat Wasatch 57-40 with Diallo and Marquez combining for all but 10 of the team’s points. The team is also scheduled to face Orem Dec. 17, Tooele, Dec. 29, Cyprus Dec. 29, Granger Dec. 29, Westlake Dec. 30, Cyprus Dec. 31, Salem Hills Jan. 4, Maple Mountain
DraperJournal .com
Juan Diego Catholic High School junior center Melissa Osmundson returns for the Soaring Eagle program who are one of the favorites in Region 15 this year. (Photo courtesy Ashley McKray)
Juan Diego Catholic High School senior guard Nicole Mamuzic returns for the Soaring Eagle program who won the Region 10 title last season. (Photo courtesy Ashley McCray)
Jan. 7, Bountiful Feb. 1 as well as home-andaway region games against Judge Memorial, American Leadership Academy, Summit Academy and Providence Hall. “My goal is always for our players to learn about God, about life, and about how to work as a team,” Trost said. “We’ll also be aiming for the region championship and putting ourselves in the best possible position to make a run in the tournament.” Girls basketball Juan Diego won the Region 10 championship last season—finishing in the top 10 in 4A—and now look to be one of the favorites in 3A’s Region 15. The team is fairly young this season, but do return junior center Melissa Osmundson and senior guard Nicole Mamuzic. “We have a group that doesn’t have a ton of varsity experience so those two will be our leaders for our team this season,” said head coach Ashlee McKray, who has been at JDCHS for nine years in two coaching stints. Juniors Alynn Crooms, Jenna Butkovich and Annette Rodriguez will also be looked to by McKray as significant contributors on the court for the Soaring Eagle team. McKray said the team has been working on their chemistry and effort as they begin the season. “We are always wanting them giving their best effort and competing on each and every possession,” she said. Also on the squad this season are seniors Kyra Hoffman, Mwende Kavila and Kayla Pelayo; juniors Brianna Aquilla, Jenna Butkovich, Nyrvanah Crockett, Alynn Crooms and Annette Rodriguez; sophomores Zoë Pappas and Lara Shroff; and freshmen Madyson Cruz, Thea Gostercic, Avie Hernandez, Camilla Lopez, Maiya Ornelas, Olivia Prosper, Sanjula Sunil, Gabriella Trujillo and Cintia Villagomez.
McKray is being assisted on the coaching staff by Paul Ceballos, Shannon Beck, Grace Dullanty and Lonnie Zunguze and team managers Averi Buchanan, Gracie Bathurst and Mallory Gallegos. “Averi, Gracie and Mallory are former players and
then injuries prevented them from playing, but they will wanted to be a part of the program,” McKray said. To begin the year, Juan Diego lost to Ogden 56-48 Nov. 18 with Osmundson scoring 15 points to lead the team. Against Timpanogos Nov. 23, they lost 71-34 with Osmundson putting in 13. Crooms had 13 points in a 60-33 loss to Sky View Nov. 30 with Osmundson and Mamuzic both recording double figures in scoring in a close loss to Salem Hills 48-45 Dec. 2 with 17 and 14 points, respectively, to begin the Desert Hills Holiday Classic. The Soaring Eagle team suffered two more losses in the tournament with a 56-39 setback to Hurricane Dec. 3—behind Crooms’15 points—and a 54-37 loss to Snow Canyon Dec. 4 with Crooms again leading the scoring with 16. The toughpreseason continued with a 41-37 loss to Spanish Fork Dec. 7 and a 67-33 loss to Morgan Dec. 10. Juan Diego is also scheduled to face Millard, Richfield, Morgan and Carbon at the 3A Preview Dec. 17-18, Emery Dec. 21, Green Canyon Jan. 4, Salem Hills Jan. 6, Logan Jan. 8 before region games with Judge Memorial, American Leadership Academy, Summit Academy and Providence Hall. l
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Corner Canyon football comes up just short in 6A state title game By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com
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orner Canyon’s remarkable string of consecutive state wins and state championships both came to an end this season. The 48-game winning streak – which tied a state record – was stopped by Lone Peak Oct. 7 when the Knights defeated the Chargers 41-16. The three straight state title run was also halted by Lone Peak Nov. 19 at Rice Eccles Stadium when the Knights outlasted Corner Canyon in a shootout 49-42. “Overall, I felt that our team performed well during the state tournament,” said head coach Eric Kjar. “We didn’t finish the way we wanted. I thought our kids played really hard and competed well.” In the 6A state playoffs, the Chargers beat Kearns 49-14, American Fork 45-28 and Weber 48-13 to reach the 6A championship game. Senior wide receiver Jett Meine said, “This year’s season was awesome. It definitely wasn’t the ending we were hoping for, but it was great to be a part of and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.” Corner Canyon finished the season with a 12-2 record, outscoring opponents 672 to 247. “I feel good about our team’s season,” senior defensive lineman Dawson Jacobsen said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted, but we played really hard and had a great year.” The Chargers’ 48-game winning streak began in 2018 and spanned three entire seasons
until the midway point of this fall’s lineup. “That streak was a great accomplishment by the program over the years,” senior linebacker Harrison Taggart said. “It speaks greatly of Coach Kjar, Coach Sutera and all of my amazing coaches.” Kjar was proud of his team for winning a share of the Region 4 title, particularly with how competitive the region is. “We had to replace some key players from the year before and those players stepped up and played well,” he said. Senior wide receiver Cody Hagen, who is committed to BYU, was recently named the 2021 Utah Gatorade Player of the Year, joining his older brother and father who also received the recognition. “It was an awesome honor,” Hagen said. “It is nice to see the hard work pay off!” Other records broken this season by CCHS players were the state passing yards record in a season by senior quarterback – and Ohio State-commit – Devin Brown, the state Point-After-Attempts (PATs) record for a season by senior Cody Christensen and the state career tackles mark by Taggart, who will play for Oregon. Senior linebacker Micah Wilson will also be playing collegiately next season – deciding to become the third in his family to suit up for BYU. Kjar said other Corner Canyon players
The Corner Canyon High football team finished second in 6A this season after winning three consecutive state titles. (Photo courtesy A Strong Photography)
will be committing or signing to programs soon to continue playing at the next level. “This season was a ton of fun,” senior offensive lineman James Lebaron said. “Although we didn’t get the ending we wanted, I am still extremely grateful to have been able to be a part of such an amazing team.” Kjar said that staff and players are focused
on reloading talent to continue the high level of play that the Chargers have become known for. “The tough, but also fun part, of high school football is continually trying to replace and develop the players in our program,” he said. “We have a lot to replace and we will have a very young team next year so our offseason development will be huge.” l
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Draper City Journal
Corner Canyon basketball teams playin’ ball
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CHS girls basketball New head coach Craig Morris has been busy building the culture he’s trying to establish at Corner Canyon since he was hired early in the summer. But, that’s not the only thing he’s preaching; he believes that his group is the deepest team in the state and wants his girls to believe in themselves with the same confidence he has them. “We look good on paper, but we have to put it on the court,” he said. “I’m trying to convince them that they can win every game they play. Can they believe it? I see it. I hope it happens quickly.” The coaching staff is “defensive-minded first,” according to Morris, and then run a motion offense aimed at putting everyone in a position to score. “We’re pretty fast, athletic and gifted, so we’ll use that to our advantage in passing up good shots for getting great shots,” Morris said. Senior captain Natalie Newtown along with twins Isabel and Lily Crofts, also seniors, are being looked to by Morris for leadership on and off the court along with junior captain Maddie White. So far this season, the Chargers defeated Mountain Crest 54-44 Nov. 30 behind 15 points from sophomore Elina Mortensen and 10 from junior Caitlin Madsen. On Dec. 3, Corner Canyon dominated Kearns 66-28 with junior Hannah Shinall leading the scoring with 13 points followed by Mortensen’s 11 and junior Summer Larson’s 10. Against Green Canyon Dec. 7, the Chargers won 64-58 with 22 points from Shinall, 12 from Newton and 10 from Larson. The team suffered its first loss on the year to Judge Memorial 64-49 on Dec. 9. Also on the 2021-22 CCHS team are juniors Ciara Hazar and Brook Yeomans; sophomores Noelle Bunker, Bostyn Carlson, Maia
By Catherine Garrett | c.garrett@mycityjournals.com Rhay; and freshmen Liberty Henstrom, Maddison Little, Brooke Luper, Sorrelle Nielsen, Kenzie Randall, Taylor Workman and Addison Yeomans. The Chargers were scheduled to face Bonneville Dec. 16, Copper Hills Dec. 17, Provo Dec. 18, Layton Dec. 18, Riverton Dec. 21, Herriman Dec. 30, Bingham Jan. 4, RSLA Jan. 6 and Emery Jan. 11 before region play with American Fork, Westlake, Skyridge, Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove this year. “No one expects us to win, but we’re going to surprise a lot of people this year,” Morris said. “It’s fun to be under the radar.” CCHS boys basketball Third-ranked Corner Canyon are off to a 3-1 start this season with wins over Taylorsville, Maple Mountain and Hillcrest, Idaho while losing a close one to Bingham 49-47. Against Taylorsville Nov. 30, the Chargers won 97-36, scoring 61 points in the middle two quarters to finish off the Warriors. Junior Max Toombs led offensively with 20 points while junior Kallen Lewis added 13, senior Tyler Burraston 12 and senior Ty Neibaur 10. In its Tournament of Champions against Maple Mountain Dec. 2, Corner Canyon won 74-53 behind Toombs’ 20 points, Neibaur’s 14, junior Jaxon Roberts’ 12 and Burraston’s 11. In the loss to Bingham Dec. 3, senior Jaiden Feroah had 15 points with Toombs adding 14. The Chargers bounced back the next day, defeating Hillcrest (Idaho) 66-58 thanks to big games from Toombs (21 points), Burraston (17) and sophomore Wells Robertson (17). Against Murray Dec. 7, the team beat the Spartans 77-63 with Toombs scoring 31 to lead the way along with Burraston’s 20 and Feroah’s 12. In the Lehi Holiday Tournament Dec. 10-11, Corner Canyon
The Corner Canyon High girls basketball team take the court with new head coach Craig Morris. (Photo courtesy Taylor Sampson)
beat nationally-ranked Kimball (Texas) 84-81 behind 25 from Burraston, 22 from Feroah and 21 from Toombs and then lost to Durango, Nevada 83-79 despite 20 points each from Toombs and Feroah and Roberts’ 15 and Tate Staley’s 11. Also on the CCHS squad this season are seniors Taylor Harris and Tate Staley; juniors Everest Romney and Carson Tebbs; sophomores Tate Bowman, Sam Chandler, Taylor Feroah, Brody Kozlowski, Isaac Neibaur and Cash Richards; and freshmen Keaton Adamson, Donovan Averitte, Hudson Brown, Cash Dana,
Brigg Jensen, Jack Knab, Peterson Lunt, Cooper Meyers, Enoch Mitchell, Paxton Naegle, Eli Paynter, Carsen Rasmussen, McKay Wells and Stockton Young. The Chargers will also play Idaho teams (Highland, Rigby, Madison and Thunder Ridge) in the Idaho Tournament Dec. 15-18 and Copper Hills Jan. 7 before Region 4 home-and-away matchups with American Fork, Westlake, Skyridge, Lone Peak and Pleasant Grove this season.l
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Corner Canyon High senior Jaeden Feroah (#11) jumps the opening tip in the Chargers game against Hillcrest (Idaho)—a game they won 66-58 in the Chargers’ Tournament of Champions Dec. 4. (Photo courtesy Jon Clifford, All Star Photography)
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Corner Canyon High junior Jaxon Roberts (#3) has helped the Chargers to a winning record so far this season. (Photo courtesy Jon Clifford, All Star Photography)
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Draper City Journal
Utah organization celebrates 10 years of empowering local women
By Hannah LaFond | h.lafond@mycityjournals.com
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uests gathered at Venue 6SIX9 in downtown Salt Lake City in November for a black-tie gala to honor nine outstanding women. Those celebrated women were the 2021 graduates from WoWUtah. “WoW” stands for “Women of Worth,” and the Utah-based nonprofit works to help women who have overcome difficult circumstances such as addiction, abuse or disease. The women selected for the program go through a year of workshops and training to help them gain self-worth and give them the tools they need for a fresh start. Each of the women is paired with a mentor, a volunteer who is there to help through the entire journey. Along with teaching them valuable life skills, each participant is given a makeover. According to WoWUtah’s Facebook page, they are gifted a collection of business attire and casual clothing selected by a team of stylists. “So she can feel confident and beautiful in her personal and professional life.” They also give each graduate formal wear and shoes for the gala event. While the program usually spans a year, the graduates at Friday’s event had been with WoWUtah for two years. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, workshops and classes that usually would have taken place in person switched to online. As a result, WoWUtah decided to keep the same participants for another year so they could better experience the program. Gala attendees enjoyed watching videos made by the 2021 graduates to highlight their achievements. Following their video, each graduate walked across the stage, just like in a classic school graduation. Then they were invited to say a few words about their experience, all of them finishing with the proclamation of “I am a woman of worth.” Barbara Moeller, who graduated from the program in 2012, now sits on WoW’s Chair of Mentees. Speaking about her experience, she said, “WoW helped me to find out how amazing it is to be myself. I had gotten lost under the pressures and circumstances in life. The program gave me the tools to defend myself against challenges that eroded my self-worth. The magic is being paired with a mentor for a journey of self-discovery. I not only found my worth again but learned to be responsible and accountable for how I
DraperJournal .com
Members of WoWUtah’s board with founder Judee Guay and husband, Lewie Guay, at the center. (Courtesy of WoWUtah)
comport myself.” Along with honoring the 2021 graduates, the gala also celebrated the 10 years WoWUtah has been in operation. Judee Guay, who founded WoW and now works alongside COO Marie Jess to keep it running, spoke about the organization’s beginnings. She started WoW after she got a second chance at life. Guay recalled her years spent in an abusive marriage and how hopeless she’d felt. Hopelessness, only made worse by autoimmune diseases she was suffering from at the time. But, slowly, she was able to put the pieces back together. She left the abusive marriage, lost 100 pounds, and started to heal. Going through such a life-changing experience made Guay want to help other women overcome their struggles. So, she started WoWUtah in 2011. Though she had a vision, Guay said their first gala was nothing like the event that evening. “If anybody had told me that 10 years later this would be here, I wouldn’t have believed them,” she said, looking out at the crowd. The guests were also invited to participate in a silent auction to raise money for WoW’s continuation. The auction included prizes such as theater tickets, gift baskets, romantic getaways and several cakes. The evening presenter and a member of WoW’s advisory board, Ty Bennett, joked that he’d won several cakes that his children had bid on for him. Speaking of how WoWUtah has operated and will continue to operate
on donations, Guay said, “[WoW] has been supported by volunteers, including the directors, executive board and advisory board. No one has received remuneration, and it will stay that way with all donations going toward the women being served now and in the future.” After presenting the graduates, Guay and Jess took turns presenting awards to those who’d helped WoWUtah throughout its 10 years. One of the award recipients included Chad Hymas, a highly respected international speaker who is also on WoW’s advisory board. Hymas was given the Inspiration Award. Sheri Thompson, who’d come all the way from Arizona for the event, was given the Soul Sister Award. Guay told The City Journals, “Sheri's incredible connection with her WoW sisters and the mentees is why she is so deserving of this award.” They also surprised Bennett, the presenter, with the Legacy Award, for being with WoW from the beginning. Guay finished by surprising her COO Jess, and her husband, Lewie Guay, with the Founder’s Awards. After the awards, they finished the evening by inviting the women of WoW to perform a special musical number. They stood on the stage to sing “Breaking Free; Becoming My Best Me,” WoW’s official theme song, written by Nina Angela Lee, the president of Wow’s Executive Board. WoWUtah will be helping another group of women in 2022. l
January 2022 | Page 17
Harmons cashier flourishes in his job and gains hundreds of neighborhood fans By Heather Lawrence | h.lawrence@mycityjournals.com
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n employee at Harmons grocery store on 672 E. 11400 S. had his own “It’s a Wonderful Life” moment on Dec. 6. Community members who shop there showed up to surprise and recognize a unique cashier, the ever-positive and friendly Chad Willoughby. “I was shocked at the response—we kind of just put this together, and about 25 people from the community showed up at Harmons to express their appreciation for Chad. They came after work, during dinner time—they made the time to recognize him. It’s the kind of warm fuzzy a lot of people need right now,” said Candee Allred, a Sandy resident who shops at the store and organized the impromptu gathering. Allred got the idea after another Sandy resident posted a comment on the Next Door app about Willoughby, who greets everyone he meets and is genuinely interested in striking up a conversation and helping them. “Be nice to Chad at Harmons. If you are ever in the checkout lane at Harmons off 114th and 7th and an employee named Chad is talking to you in a polite way, please be nice to him back! He’s just a genuinely nice person and talks to everyone that way,” wrote Christine Green. While Green didn’t write about any specific reason for the post, she did seem to allude to negative behavior from other shoppers. Green ended her initial post with a gentle reminder: “[Chad’s] colleagues are appreciative of his uplifting attitude and feel he deserves to be treated better by some people.” Green’s post on Nov. 20 set off a flurry of Next Door comments. It turned a community of virtual neighbors into friends, who realized they all had something in common: they all appreciated Willoughby’s friendly attitude while shopping. “Chad is great! He is so forthcoming he can catch you off guard. But he is truly genuine and sincere,” wrote Richard Miller the same day as Green’s initial post. Another customer who had just checked out at Harmons and interacted with Willoughby added her appreciation. “I was just in Chad’s line and he is very excited for Thanksgiving. He’s uplifting every time!” wrote Leslie Wadsworth. Comments flooded the thread, and within 24 hours there were 98 comments acknowledging Willoughby specifically. Several called for more community kindness in general. Slowly, the idea of recognizing Willoughby publicly began to take shape. “I reached out to the store director at Harmons and asked if as a community we could give him some kind of recognition. He was more than willing to facilitate it,” Allred said. Allred posted her update on the app and let the community know that on Dec. 6 at 6 p.m. anyone who was available could gather in the eating area at Harmons to recognize Willoughby. This wasn’t the first time a community rallied around Willoughby. Local news reports including the City Journals reported that in early 2020 Willoughby lost his job at Walmart in Taylorsville, where he was also a cashier for several years. Willoughby was a minor celebrity at the Walmart, and knew many of the customers who shopped there by name. Reports say that the problem happened when customers came through with items that wouldn’t scan, and Willoughby would put in a price without waiting for a manager. With customer service always his priority, he said in a news report, “I figured it was saving time, the customer was happy and I was doing my job.” Willoughby’s superiors didn’t see it the same way and figured that he had lost the store about $40 in revenue due to underpricing items. “I did not receive a warning, they did not come and say, ‘Chad, look, don’t do this anymore,’” and Willoughby lost his
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Community members talked online on Next Door about friendly Harmons employee Chad Willoughby (center), then they decided to surprise him with a recognition on Dec. 6. (Photo courtesy Candee Allred)
job at Walmart without further comment. Over 9,000 people took to Change.org and signed a petition to get Willoughby his job back, but at that point he was already interviewing and being offered jobs elsewhere. A GoFundMe account raised nearly $6,000 to help him with the transition time between jobs. Fast forward nearly two years and customers at Harmons are now the beneficiaries of Willoughby’s job change. Allred said that Willoughby was very surprised by the recognition that evening, where she presented him with all the comments from the post about him. “We took some pictures and told him how much we appreciated him. It really was something that people needed; that 15-20 minutes of not being divisive and seeing a warm fuzzy. I think it was good for everyone and lifted everyone who was there,” Allred said. Allred was stopped by people who didn’t know about the event, but were there to shop and saw the signs. “‘Is this for Chad?’ people asked me. ‘We love him!’” Allred said. A Harmons employee from another store found Allred in the parking lot. She used a tablet to communicate because she was deaf. She didn’t know Willoughby personally, but had heard about him through the work grapevine. “She wrote on the pad that she came clear across the valley to meet Chad because he was a fellow Harmons team member, and she loved what he was doing,” Allred said. One woman got teary as she told Willoughby that whenever she has a bad day, if she’s there at the store and goes through his line, he makes her day. Willoughby loved the recognition, mostly because it meant that he was doing right by his customers. “He was very touched. He said that he really appreciated what we were doing,” Allred said. But then he started to get antsy—he was still on the clock,
after all, and he had a job to do. “After several minutes he said, ‘I love you guys, but there are customers waiting on me and I have to get back,’” Allred said. Customer Service supervisor Sandra McMurtrey works with Willoughby at Harmons. She said his former employer’s loss is definitely their gain. “Chad is always early for work. If someone calls in sick or late, I know that Chad is probably up in the break room and I can just go up and get him and ask him to fill in,” McMurtrey said. She appreciates that Willoughby is always trying to improve. “If something happens or didn’t go well, I can talk to him about it. He always says thank you for letting him know, and then he fixes it,” McMurtrey said. Willoughby is willing to clean up a mess, collect carts or sweep the store. But McMurtrey agreed that he really does shine when it comes to caring about customers. “There was a night at the store just before Thanksgiving when we were just slammed, just so busy. Chad’s shift had ended, but he kept his checkstand open for two hours after he had gotten off, and didn’t say a thing, didn’t complain. “And the thing I love is that when someone comes in and is having a bad day and telling him all about the things going on he will really empathize. He wants to do whatever it takes to serve customers and help the store,” McMurtrey said. Among the comments that Allred printed up and gave to Willoughby was one from Gerardo Castillo about how Willoughby’s attitude spreads kindness throughout the community. “Chad always inspires me to open up to people more and share positive energy. I wish we could all be a little more like Chad,” Castillo wrote. l
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Local schools review social media policies, fundraising activities for inclusivity
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his winter, many schools have been participating in fundraising opportunities to give back to their schools and their community. Summit Academy High School in Bluffdale has held its Bears Give Back, an annual fundraiser, since the school opened in 2010. Throughout the year students perform several service projects such as giving winter wear to those in need, providing snacks to health care workers and supporting Be the Match, encouraging people to register to donate bone marrow or blood stem cells. They also select a non-profit organization to support every winter. This year, the student body of 525 students were supporting the Leukemia Research Foundation, selected in part because a former athletic director is going through cancer treatments, said Principal Angela Grimmer. She said that $8,000 had already been raised by Dec. 2, a month after the fundraising began. They planned to wrap it up before winter break and give the funds to the foundation in January. This year, there have been questions that have arisen in regards to social media, starting with a post that was up for a couple hours before a teacher notified the principal and it was immediately taken down, said Summit Academy Executive Director Michael Clark. Posted on the school’s Instagram account was a cartoon depiction of a Black male behind bars, indicating students could pay $5 to put a classmate in “jail” and $7 to get the classmate out. “Jail” was a portion of the school cafeteria that was behind streamers portraying bars; participation was optional, Clark said. The money raised was put toward the fundraiser. “Everyone at Summit Academy High School is welcome and we want everyone to feel welcome; It’s really unfortunate and really sad that it happened. We love all of our students and all of our community, and we would never want to alienate or make anyone feel bad. We truly believe in educating all students, no matter what your background is, no matter who you are,” Clark said. The marketing campaign process has been reviewed and revised, Clark said. It began with an opportunity to have a digital marketing and media student apply his learning to a real-life fundraising event. Clark said the student quickly searched “cartoon jail image,” and used one of the first images that popped up to complete the assignment for the post about the school lunch fundraiser. A teacher — “he didn’t consider the implications of it” — signed off on it before being posted, Clark said. That lesson also became more “real life” with social implications. “The teacher took that opportunity to really drill that into the class and help them to understand that when we create an advertisement, we need to look at it with a critical eye from all different perspectives and lenses to make sure we’re not hurting or alienating anyone,” he said. Clark said there have been discussions with students, some who were unaware of the controversy since the post was put up and taken down during a school day. “We just tried to help them to understand sometimes things like this happen and people are hurt, and we need to apologize and fix it, so it doesn’t happen again. It was a good learning experience for them,” he said. Grimmer said that in the future, students will have that same experience that not only allows them to create social media posts, but also the fliers and videos for the school’s weekly announcements. “We’re going to allow our students to keep doing that and
Page 20 | January 2022
By Julie Slama | j.slama@mycityjournals.com
Summit Academy High School reviewed its social media policy after a winter fundraising post. (Photo courtesy of Summit Academy High School Facebook)
create that,” she said. “The approval to actually be posted will come through me.” The same rules regarding only principals posting on social media apply to all the Summit Academy campuses, Clark said. In addition to the “jail,” students had other ways to contribute to the leukemia foundation, such as purchasing a muffin on Mondays, admission to a school dance, or students performing odd jobs in the community for donations to their fundraiser Although the student-driven idea was adapted from neighboring high schools and has been “pretty successful as they’ve been able to donate lots of money to different foundations and charities across Utah and across the country,” the “jail” idea won’t continue in the future, Clark said. “We just discontinued it; sometimes these things, the political environment changes in the country, and so then these kinds of ideas kind of fade out,” he said. “We’re going to let the students come together and try to think of something else that’s creative and different.” Administrators say they’re looking to expand their online teacher training. “I’ve also reached out to Utah Black Roundtable to see if they would come on campus with us and help us with some of these discussions,” Grimmer said. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to make some connections there and understand moving forward, how best we can be educational and be sensitive.” Grimmer also said that she has had discussions with students about concerns and they’re wanting to organize a group to meet on the subject going forward. “The one thing that is so fantastic about our students, and I think this comes from being a smaller school too, is they feel like they have the ability to really self-advocate and when they do things, they do not hesitate to come in and chat and start a group. We run so many diverse clubs to involve all of our students, so it’s always great to see student response,” she said. “This is really a good opportunity for us to learn and to reengage some efforts in new areas.” Grimmer said that as more people and schools have learned about the post, there hasn’t been any negative response or schools wanting to disassociate with them. Two area schools, Hillcrest High in Midvale and Ameri-
can Preparatory Academy in Draper, who both plan to proceed with their basketball games against Summit Academy, are also reviewing their fundraising methods and social media policies. Hillcrest Principal Greg Leavitt said that while there are several ways students contribute to their fundraising of choice — this year the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network — one of the popular ways is to bid on a date with a student body officer. “Our biggest one is pay for a date and actually, we shut that down this year,” he said. “There’s just too many students who are not comfortable with that old-fashioned type of idea and we have a lot of minority students…and people who aren’t into that, so I told them they needed to think of another way. They could pay to go on a group activity with Hillcrest High School SBOs– and they’ve always done the date thing as a group anyway, but it’s just the way they say it makes it awkward for some students.” It also takes away a popularity element, he said. “It’s always surrounded with this kid will pay this much money for this student and they’ll only pay $10 for me. It just makes people feel awkward,” he said. Leavitt said that the most active school social media account is the student body account, where student leaders will discuss with their adviser about what their message will say and look like before posting it. Early in the school year, they also had discussions ensuring that the posts are sensitive to the student body. At American Preparatory Academy in Draper, communications director Dan Bazan said controls over their social media accounts are limited to himself and a select few others at each of the campuses. He was aware of the Summit Academy post. “A lot of times when we see things like this happen in the culture, our goal is to help our students understand what’s going on, and using what we’ve already taught them,” he said. “Our goal is for them to already know that all students, all humans, have value. Everyone has value and so we have to respect it. The whole purpose of a classical education – is the flourishing of human rights and it’s to understand the differences.” l
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Help wanted: Officials for youth sports By Greg James | g.james@mycityjournals.com
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he number of high school referees and sports officials is declining rapidly across the country. Until recently, Utah had not experienced much of a decline, but this season it has finally hit home. Why is this happening and what can be done to make sure athletes don’t miss games because of it? “If high school is in session I am doing a sport,” Harley Gold said. “I have officiated since 1967. I started because I was invited to a little league umpires clinic then and I became an umpire. I enjoy all of the sports and picking a favorite is like picking my favorite child.” Gold is not alone, many of the officials started young and have continued for years. Former USA Hockey Supervisor of Officials Jim Mckenna started officiating youth and adult recreation hockey games in 1994. He continues working collegiate and junior league games as well as games in the ECHL. “I was looking for a way to earn some extra money back then,” Mckenna said. “I dealt with the assignment of officials and contracts with leagues and organizations and helped with training. It was a lot of work, but it was fun.” Both of these longtime arbiters enjoy what they do. “I like being around the game and with the kids,” Gold said.
According to an Ohio University study many states are reporting a decrease in officials. Oregon alone saw a 12% drop in registered football referees this fall. The shortage has finally hit Utah. Two weeks before the boys basketball season began the Utah High School Activities Association had 450 people registered for the job, nearly 250 less than what they need to complete the season. In northern California they have seen a decrease of nearly 30%. Utah has also increased the number of schools therefore increasing the number of games. Making this a two-headed problem for officials. The lack of officials has forced postponement and cancellation of many sub-varsity games in the state. Some schools are moving games to make it easier to find people to help. “Every year in the last five or six years we have seen a decline in the number of officials,” McKenna said. “The abuse from parents and players contributes. The younger officials wonder why they would want to go and get yelled at for two hours.” Sportsmanship, specifically the lack thereof, has become a key factor in the decline of officials. Sportsmanship refers to virtues such as fairness, self-control and courage. In
Lone Peak’s girls basketball coach shouts instructions to her players and the officials in a recent game. (Greg James/City Journals)
today’s sporting culture those virtues can take a back seat to winning at all costs. “We have really lost the sense of what is appropriate. It seems OK to scream at some official and tell them how crappy they are. Society is a lot less accepting and willing to come to an understanding,” McKenna said. In a National Association of Sporting
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Officials survey, adult recreation and youth competitive sports had the worst sportsmanship and 47% of officials surveyed feared for their safety because of a fan, player, coach or administrator. According to UHSAA assistant director Jeff Cluff, poor sportsmanship is “probably the No. 1 reason an official does not return. We
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lose about 75% of first-year officials. It is hard if you don't have the personality to handle it. There is no place for bad sportsmanship.” In early November, at a 13-14-year-old division hockey tournament in Colorado, Ron Groothedde, a 25-year veteran referee, was sprayed in the face with a large can of Lysol by an angry parent. The suspect was arrested for harassment. Incidents of poor sportsmanship are numerous. “I think it takes communication. I see a lot of officials that get yelled at and they yell right back and all that does is fuel the fire. Talking to a coach and explaining what you saw in a conversation and come to an agreement,” McKenna said. “Some of the younger officials are intimidated by the coaches.” The extra money of a part-time job like officiating was a big draw to begin with, but many potential officials have found other jobs that also pay well. In March of 2020, when the pandemic started many games and competitions were canceled. For six to eight months officials sat at home. Many have not returned, citing COVID concerns and also a lack of interest. “We have tried a few different things,” United States Specialty Sports Association’s Utah Director Jerry Ong said. “We work hard on having good compensation, umpire treatment and fan control. I know as an industry we have suffered with the loss of referees.” The UHSAA pay scale for officials varies by sport and level. A varsity football referee
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can take home $74 whereas a volleyball official makes $59. Some schools offer dinner and food stipends to help with travel expenses. The current pay rates have increased nearly 10% across the board. Some officials can get paid mileage to travel to an event. “Basketball and softball have been affected the most,” Cluff said. “We have games in rural areas that need to have officials. We are paying more to get guys to travel to those places. We are looking for ways to recruit new help.” The athletes and coaches of today are the officials of tomorrow. Cluff said getting them involved when they are young could help increase numbers. “Our coaches make the best officials,” Cluff said. “A basketball coach can be a great baseball umpire or football referee. They have great relationships with kids and know how to work positively with them. It also gives kids a better understanding of the game.” The UHSAA encourages its athletes to participate in little leagues and youth sports programs. Its older referees also attempt to persuade friends to join the organization. “You can never find a more fulfilling part-time job,” Gold said. “I get to set my own hours, work when I want to work. There is also plenty of help available. Training every year and other mentors to keep you straight.” According to a recent NASO survey, 48% of all current officials started because of
an invitation from a friend. There are also numerous other reasons why many people get involved. They include extra money, the love of sports, a way to stay active, and giving back to a game they love. “I get to work the ECHL games and there are times that I think ‘why do I still do this.’ I just got berated for the entire game, but there are times when the action is intense and the game is back and forth. It is awesome to be involved in a game that is back and forth and the guys are playing well,” McKenna said. “I have also worked with other officials that have gone on and had great careers in the NHL.” The hard work of officials does not go unnoticed.
“I definitely think officials have the hardest job to do. No matter what they do it will upset one side or the other,” West Jordan boys basketball head coach Christian Wouden said. “We have some great officials and they work extremely hard.” In 2021, Tammy Spencer and Lance Nielsen were awarded officials of the year by UHSAA. Many leagues offer training for new officials. The UHSAA has set up official associations and they provide constant training and are always looking for new hires to try it out. l
January 2022 | Page 23
Autism: In the schools and workplace; local opportunities promising bright future
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emple Grandin, perhaps the most famous person with autism, visited Utah in August and was impressed with the opportunities she saw for children and adults with autism. “I’ve seen more good stuff yesterday and today than I’ve seen in a long time— you’re doing some stuff that’s really special,” she said after visiting the Utah STEM Action Center and seeing the creative design and building tools available to Utah students in the STEM Lab. Grandin believes hands-on learning is ideal for encouraging innovation—especially for kids with autism. “I watched an autistic kid just blossom in there,” she said. “[He was] about 12 years old, acting really autistic. He started doing a 3D printer, he turned into a different kid.” Grandin worries that many children get stuck in the “autism box” and that many capable autistic young people are wasting away their time, playing video games in their parents’ basement, when they should be in the workforce innovating, designing and building. She said many visual thinkers could be successful engineers but they struggle to complete traditional engineering programs because of the math requirements. “I get worried that my kind of visual thinker is getting strained out because we can’t do algebra,” she said. “But it’s my kind of visual thinker that will build the next Amazon warehouse.” Grandin has written 13 books explaining the different ways autistic, or neurodiverse, minds process information. As an object visualizing thinker, Grandin transformed the meat processing industry with her revolutionary engineering designs. But she had to go through untraditional channels because of her autism. Grandin will explore the different ways people think to come up with innovative ideas in a podcast, “How Do You Think of That with Temple Grandin,” which will launch early this year in partnership with the Utah STEM Action Center and Sheri Quinn Productions. “Temple is interviewing a variety of
By Jet Burnham | j.burnham@mycityjournals.com people working on research projects and innovations, talking to them about their lives, the way they think, and the way that they incorporate STEM into their lives on a daily basis,” said Julienne Bailey, a program coordinator at the Utah STEM Action Center. The podcast will also delve into the role of education and what teachers and counselors can do to drive innovation. Grandin has strong opinions about the education of children with autism. In addition to hands-on classes such as shop classes, she said children with autism need life skills training. “The big thing we’ve got to be doing with kids in the pipeline is learning life skills, learning work skills—not enough emphasis on that,” Grandin said. Life skills training is what has made a difference for Amy Baker’s two sons with autism. The boys struggled in mainstream classes with neurotypical peers because of their delays in social and verbal skill development, which are typical with autism. The boys attended specialized schools, the Carmen B. Pingree Autism Center of Learning and Spectrum Academy Charter School. Spectrum Academy’s teachers use research-based instruction methods and provide a variety of technological tools so that students are not held back by writing, reading, or verbal delays, Baker said. Their on-staff occupational, speech, behavior, and mental specialists worked with the teaching team to help Baker’s boys figure out what modifications they needed to succeed in the classroom. In Spectrum Academy’s social skills classes, Baker’s sons learned and practiced how to respond in social situations, something that comes naturally to neurotypical students but not those whose brains are wired differently. By the end of middle school, both of Baker’s sons were able to transfer to their neighborhood school in mainstream classes. They are now in their junior and senior years. “They’re doing so well,” Baker said. “But they wouldn’t be where they are without being at Spectrum to learn those
Autism takes front stage The workings of an autistic mind is front stage in Riverton High School’s upcoming production of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime.” The protagonist of the Tony Award-winning play is a teenager with autism who is determined to solve a mystery. “It’s from his perspective, so we are seeing life through his extraordinary brain and how he’s able to maneuver things and do things that seem impossible for him,” RHS theater teacher Erin McGuire said. One of the cast members is autistic and McGuire is planning a sensory-friendly performance for autistic audience members. The play runs February 24-28. Visit rivertonhigh.jordandistrict.org for information and tickets.
Page 24 | January 2022
Auticon provides an autism-friendly work environment. (Photo courtesy of David Reeve.)
tools. Those life skills that they’ve learned at Spectrum have just changed every aspect of our lives. Socially, they are keeping right up with their peers, which is huge. They need social skills to be able to get along in the world.” Jordan School District provides autism support classes at three elementary schools, four middle schools and one high school. The smaller class sizes and Individualized Education Plans help teams of teachers, paraprofessionals and therapists address each student’s academic needs, social skills development and behavior, said Angela Johnston, a special education teacher in one of Rose Creek Elementary’s three autism support classrooms. In the autism support classrooms, students learn appropriate replacement behaviors to reduce disruptions to learning. Things that are small annoyances to neurotypical children can trigger a sensory overload tantrum in an autistic or neurodiverse child. When they become overwhelmed, they may respond with stimming behaviors (rocking, pacing, flapping, biting, yelling.) In the autism support classrooms, students learn to prevent and replace those behaviors. “Our goal is for them to realize they’re starting to get overwhelmed and they come to us and ask us for a break, or say ‘I need to go for a walk’ or ‘I need to go get a drink of water’ or ‘Can I go to the sensory room?’ or ‘It’s loud in here, I need some headphones,’” Johnston said. “Our goal is to get them to a place where they can use
those strategies independently.” Last year, Rose Creek Elementary created a Sensory Room, a former storage closet with low lighting, stocked with fidget toys, play-doh, pillows and a swing. “It’s been a great place for kids to go just to get out of the classroom if they feel like they’re starting to escalate or they’re overwhelmed, if it’s too loud, or they’re feeling off that day and they need to just be somewhere quiet,” Johnston said. Once students learn to prevent and replace behaviors, they are able to participate in mainstream classrooms, which is the goal of the program, said Johnston. “We teach them appropriate replacement behaviors so they can be in a school setting and get to the point where we can have them mainstream, or their parents can take them out into the community,” she said. In her 20 year career, Johnston has seen an improved educational experience for autistic students due to research and innovations as well as more parents advocating for their children, and more schools providing specialized services. Utah’s private and charter schools for autistic students are in high demand; Spectrum Academy, which has grown from one campus to seven in the last 15 years, continues to have a long enrollment waiting list. Job skills training is part of secondary school instruction for teenagers with autism. Both Spectrum Academy and Jordan District schools begin transition planning in seventh grade. Throughout their
Draper City Journal
Temple Grandin speaks at the opening of Auticon’s Salt Lake location. (Jet Burnham/City Journals)
middle and high school years, students explore career opportunities and learn job skills through school-based and community-partnership work experiences. Special education students in grades 9-12 can participate in part-time vocational instruction at JSD’s South Valley School in West Jordan, which also provides post high school life skills and job skills training for special education students ages 1821. Some students learn and practice job skills while working in South Valley School’s greenhouse and woodworking, framing and engraving shops. Others fill jobs in the community. SVS Principal Rita Bouillon said students with autism have abilities that fill a need in the job force and community employers are thrilled to have such dedicated workers. “These students have such great skills because they pay such attention to detail, they like doing repetitive work, and they like doing work accurately,” Bouillon said. Many prefer jobs that are predictably the same every day such as gathering grocery carts, stocking shelves, making pizzas, and working on assembly lines. Bouillon said these first job experiences help young adults with autism learn basic job skills—how to be on time, follow directions, dress appropriately, use public transportation and budget—that will translate to any future career. In class, students role play how to ask for a raise, request a day off, and arrange an accommodation. They learn to advocate for themselves and to educate others about autism so that it is not a barrier. Autism is misunderstood by many and often causes a frustrating cycle of unemployment and underemployment. “The autism community suffers from an 85% underemployment rate,” said David Aspinall, CEO of U.S. operations of Auticon, an international IT service provider. “Underemployment is the notion that somebody who could be an expert technologist is working in a role that doesn’t make them the compensation that they deserve for their skills. The other version of underemployment is an individual, an incredibly
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skilled technologist, that has gone from organization to organization, never growing roots, never feeling fulfilled, because they’re not an autism-friendly environment.” That was the experience of Scott McKell, a 30-something computer programmer from Hyrum, Utah. He said he felt he escaped the stigmatizing ‘box of autism’ because his mother opted to keep him out of the special education system. She did push his social skills development and he was able to do well in school. But post high school, he struggled to find stable work that paid well. He was a skilled musician and computer programmer but found himself working temporary jobs in warehouses and call centers. There were always problems with the jobs—call centers were uncomfortably loud, and if there was a big crash in the warehouse, it affected his ability to work accurately. “I’ve had lots of odd jobs because I hadn’t quite found something that fit or I didn’t realize how to ask for accommodations to make something that was a close fit a solid fit,” McKell said. Finally, in 2020, he found Auticon, which employs adults on the autism spectrum as technology consultants. Auticon has tapped into the autistic pool of employees to utilize their skill sets that are ideal in the software development and data science industries. Aspinall said
one autistic cognitive strength is brutal honesty, which is an asset in data science. He said an autistic worker is dedicated to the data and provides unbiased results, while other people may have an interpretation bias based on what they want the data to show. Aspinall said people with autism who have the hard skills for a job often don’t make it through the social skills portion of a job interview. “The traditional interview process is one of the reasons our community is 85% underemployed,” Aspinall said. “There’s human bias, where you’re in an interview and you get that social spark with someone. That has zero bearing on that individual’s ability to do the job, especially in data science and software engineering.” Auticon uses an autism-friendly recruitment process—gamification to understand the applicant’s technical skills, and a series of chats with job coaches to understand their soft skills. They provide job coaches to help employers understand how to support neurodiversity in the workplace so that they are inclusive and integrated. Many of the accommodations autistic workers ask for are just good business practices, Aspinall said. “Things we work with our partners on are things like written instruction instead of verbal instruction, making sure that meetings have an agenda, that communication is concise,” he said. “If you think about it, that
is really not that much of an accommodation, that’s just good business practice.” Grandin attended the ribbon-cutting for Auticon’s Salt Lake operations center when she was in Utah in August and praised the company for recognizing the skills and capabilities of employees with autism. The majority of Auticon’s employees are autistic but Aspinall is quick to dismiss it as anything but good business strategy. “This notion that this is altruistic is not accurate,” he said. “It’s performance-based. This isn’t altruism. Our team is bringing them a performance advantage. They are using what has been considered a barrier as a strength.” McKell was hired by Auticon as a consultant for Fidelity Investments and said the workplace environment is the best he’s ever had because his employer understands what he needs to do his job; it is normalized for him to wear noise-cancelling headphones or to take a break. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever had before—in a positive way,” he said. “Just the mere understanding that if I get overstimulated and I need to take a break and walk away, they’re not only OK with that but they encourage that. If I’m too uncomfortable or bothered by something, I disengage and find my zen, so to speak, and then come back and I’m much more efficient than when I was overstimulated and trying to push through.” l
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*We are dedicated to ensuring your home is protected year round, which is why we offer a no-clog guarantee.* If your LeafGuard® gutter ever clogs, we will come out to clean at no cost to you. • One-Piece System • Protective Overhang/Trim • ScratchGuard® Paint Finish
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with in-home estimate & FREE gutter inspection! EXPIRES JANUARY 31, 2022 Consumer Disclosure/Award Rules: All participants who attend an estimated 60-90 minute in-home product consultation will receive a $50 gift card. No purchase is necessary. Retail value is $50. Offer sponsored by LeafGuard Holdings, Inc. Limit one gift card per household. LeafGuard procures, sells, and installs seamless gutter protection. This offer is valid for homeowners over 18 years of age. If married or have a life partner, both cohabitating persons must attend and complete presentation together. Participants must have a valid photo ID, understand English, and be legally able to enter into a contract. The following persons are not eligible for this offer: employees of LeafGuard or affiliated companies or entities, their immediate family members, previous participants in a LeafGuard in-home consultation within the past 12 months and all current and former LeafGuard customers. Promotion may not be extended, transferred, or substituted except that LeafGuard may substitute a gift card of equal or greater value if it deems it necessary. Gift card and terms and conditions (https://www.darden.com/gift-cards/terms-and-conditions) of such gift card will be mailed to the participant via first class US Mail within 21 days of receipt of promotion form provided at consultation. Not valid in conjunction with any other promotion or discount of any kind. Offer not sponsored or promoted by Darden Restaurants and is subject to change without notice prior to reservation.
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Guaranteed not to clog for as long as you own your home, or we will clean your gutters for free! January 2022 | Page 29
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Mr. Handyman franchise opens new Holladay, Draper & Sandy locations
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Mr. Handyman is a locally owned and operated franchise business. With over 180 locations across the country, they have expanded into Utah with a new location, serving Holladay, Draper and Sandy. Mr. Handyman provides Residential and Commercial improvement and repair services. They can do anything from small To-Do items to other improvement projects. Mr. Handyman is always “On Time and Done Right.” Mr. Handyman Technicians are background checked and arrive in a company marked van. They promise to treat your home as their own. And with their “Done Right Promise” you can be assured your home improvement or business repair will be done to your satisfaction. Pricing estimates are given over the phone when you call the office today at 801-396-8140. Or visit www.mrhandyman.com to schedule an appointment.
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801-396-8140 www.mrhandyman.com
Draper City Journal
Home Makeover: COVID edition
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One morning I woke up and I’d had enough. The pandemic had forced us to look at our walls and carpet 24/7 and every day the chips in the paint got bigger and the stains on the carpet got wider. Was that blood or pudding? I couldn’t tell anymore. It was time to take action. My husband tends to overthink in a death-spiral sort of way, so our conversation went from “What kind of paint/flooring should we get?” to “What if we spend two weeks with our dog in a tent in a blizzard?” I let him ruminate for a while before moving to the next phase. We talked about painting the rooms ourselves and laughed hysterically for a couple of hours. We are not the DIY kind of people. We once assembled a bookshelf together so I knew we needed to hire a professional; either a professional painter or a professional divorce attorney. We reached out to our friend, Rick Hepner, who was delighted to paint our home, plus he got to enjoy our 4-year-old granddaughter following him around asking him what he was doing, why he was doing it, how long he’d be doing it and if he wanted to play Barbies. While preparing the walls, Rick discovered ecosystems behind our furniture where sentient beings lived in and breathed only dust. He waded through chest-deep dust like we were living in the Oklahoma Dust Bowl era, or
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maybe the sequel to Dune. Once the dust was hauled away and the walls were beautifully painted, we turned our attention to the floors. Our carpet crossed the prairie in the back of a handcart, survived nuclear testing in Southern Utah and was definitely sprouting tentacles. Time to toss it before it murdered us in our sleep. Then came the discussion of wood versus carpet. My husband is old school and likes soft carpeting, probably so he doesn’t break a hip if he falls. I like the clean line of wood. We compromised with me getting wood flooring in my office, and carpet everywhere else; except the bathroom. We’re not animals. When it came time to move furniture out of the house, I threw things away willy-nilly.
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I took bags of clothes and shoes and children to Goodwill. My husband followed behind me, taking things out of donation bags and hiding them. He has sentimental attachments to items like water bottles and lanyards and the blouse I wore when we saw the Blue Man Group in 2008. Finally, the walls were painted, flooring was complete, furniture was moved back and everything was right with the world. But our dog was hyperventilating. Before renovation (BR), she’d nap under the guest bed, which is now in another home. She wandered the halls, forlorn and lost, carrying her bone from room to room, trying to navigate her apocalyptic new world. Not only that, but the wood floor distressed her and she refused to walk on it. She slept on the couch until midnight. Then I heard her toenails clicking as she walked across the floor and threw herself onto her bed, sighing loudly, so we’d know she’d been inconvenienced. For a while, we played The Floor is Lava to keep the carpet looking bright and new. But walls get scratched and carpet gets stained because life is a messy, dirty, grimy experiment where sometimes you don’t know if the stain on the carpet is blood or pudding, and your dog needs therapy, and your husband unpacks the donation bags. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
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